Translation and Validation of the Persian Version of the Perinatal Grief Scale in Iranian Mothers with an Experience of Pregnancy Loss

Objective: Loss of pregnancy and subsequent grief is a very difficult experience in the life of expectant parents. Grief refers to the process of experiencing psychological, behavioral, social, and physical responses to loss, which is a natural process, but if it persists for a long time, it can become complicated, more severe and debilitating. We need a valid and reliable tool to measure grief after perinatal loss. Because of the lack of such a tool in Iran, this study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS) in an Iranian target group, and determine the psychometric properties of the scale in this population. Material and Method: During this methodological study, 330 women who had an experience of perinatal loss over the previous year were chosen through "Convenience" sampling from two teaching hospitals and Health Centers in Gorgan. The PGS was translated using the forward-backward translation technique. The validity of the PGS Persian version (PGS-P) was evaluated through face, content, and structural validity (confirmatory factor analysis), while its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. SPSS software version 16 and Amos software version 24 were used for data analysis. Results: On the basis of the target group's and expert panel's comments in the validity stage, item 32 (Being a bereaved parent means being "Second-Class Citizen") was removed from the original scale. In reviewing the confirmatory factor analysis, all fitness indicators confirmed the 3-factor structure of the main scale with 32 items. All items had a factor load over 0.20. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.95 and ranged from 0.84 to 0.89 for the factors of PGS-P. Conclusion: The results of confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed that PGS-P is valid. Therefore, it recommends that the PGS-P be used to assess grief severity in parents after perinatal loss and to identify high-risk women who are more vulnerable so that the health-care system can help them.